1.
coward; mean / cowardly person
A person who is cowardly, unfair, or sneaky — someone who avoids confronting things directly or who uses unfair tactics. A strongly insulting term.
卑怯者!
Coward!
後ろから攻撃するなんて卑怯者のすることだ。
Attacking from behind is something a coward would do.
自分の失敗を他人のせいにするなんて、彼は本当に卑怯者だ。
Blaming his own mistakes on others — he really is a despicable coward.
Composed of 卑怯 (cowardly, unfair) + 〜者 (person). Used to condemn someone for being unfair, sneaky, or unwilling to face things directly. Common in fiction (samurai, fight scenes) and in heated arguments.
COMMON COLLOCATIONS:
- 卑怯者!: Coward! (as an exclamation)
- 卑怯者呼ばわりする: call someone a coward
- 卑怯者のすること: something a coward would do
REGISTER:
A strong insult. Common in dramatic or confrontational situations rather than calm conversation. In casual modern speech, ずるい (sneaky / unfair) is much milder and far more frequent.
SIMILAR WORDS:
- 臆病者: coward — focuses on being afraid, not on unfair tactics
- ずるい人: a sneaky person — milder, everyday
- 弱虫: wimp — colloquial; used between children